Price of Admission

Running for Congress has never been an easy proposition, or an inexpensive one. But even in these years of low
inflation, the cost of winning a seat in the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives keeps climbing upwards, with no guarantee of
success when all the votes are counted. Here's how the numbers break down.

Election cycle:

House

Party

No. of Cands

Total Raised

Total Spent

Total Cashon Hand

Totalfrom PACs

Totalfrom Indivs

All

1317

$873,049,498

$855,559,726

$169,162,722

$298,697,264

$482,369,458

Dems

685

$415,345,266

$392,926,257

$90,009,144

$133,432,789

$247,491,491

Repubs

551

$454,053,158

$459,036,503

$79,066,301

$165,163,342

$232,290,701

Senate

Party

No. of Cands

Total Raised

Total Spent

Total Cashon Hand

Totalfrom PACs

Totalfrom Indivs

All

166

$559,959,971

$563,462,730

$51,782,224

$71,143,373

$384,947,614

Dems

64

$289,224,038

$286,258,860

$29,609,642

$30,227,098

$206,019,219

Repubs

70

$245,252,176

$251,472,981

$18,734,618

$38,022,809

$156,854,305

Based on data released by the FEC
on August 20, 2007. Figures cover financial activity that took place between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2006.

Feel free to distribute or cite this material, but please credit the Center for Responsive Politics. For permission to reprint for commercial uses, such as textbooks, contact the Center.

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